West Virginia Medical Assistant Programs

New graduates celebrate with their families at their nursing commencement ceremony.

Medical Assistant Programs in West Virginia -- How to Become a Medical Assistant in West Virginia

The individuals behind making sure that the offices of doctors, physicians, chiropractors and other medical professionals run smoothly are known as medical assistants. Medical assistants are not thought of as nurses or healthcare professionals, but they do work closely with patients by performing numerous other tasks. Most medical assistants handle the clinical and administrative tasks that do not require a nursing licensure. The average salary of a medical assistant in West Virginia is approximately $21,780 and can vary depending upon employer, qualifications and experience.

If you are interested in becoming a medical assistant you must obtain a high school diploma or GED. Students who are interested in this career path may want to consider taking math, science and business courses to help prepare for this type of career field. In some high schools there are specific vocational programs that help train the students to learn the skills that are necessary to become a medical assistant. Some of the skills taught in the program include answering phones, being able to handle multi-phone lines, transcribing medical records, handling patients, and working with medical billing departments.

If you wish to become a medical assistant after high school there are several medical assistant programs in West Virginia that offer courses on how to become a medical assistant. These courses can vary in length from several weeks to two years, and cover a variety of topics. The topics that can be covered in these courses include biology, anatomy, office externship, medical terminology, business or health communications, records management, and medical accounting. Medical assistant programs are available at a variety of community colleges and vocational schools throughout the state of West Virginia. Individuals interested in taking these courses in addition to their full-time job can find several accredited online programs that offer medical assistant programs.

The state of West Virginia currently does not require medical assistant to become certified. However, an employer can require that an individual obtain certification from one of the two certifying organizations. The two certifying organizations in the United States include the American Association of Medical Assistants and the American Medical Technologists. In order to obtain certification with one of these agencies you must take and pass the examination and have successfully completely one of the approved and accredited medical assistant programs in West Virginia. Occasionally the certification agency may recognize work experience in place of attending an accredited program.